Mechanism Design
in particular Algorithmic Game Theory,
which can be viewed as ``incentive-aware algorithm design'', have become an
increasingly important part of (theoretical) computer science in recent years.
Recent results show a strong relation between computer science (esp.
networking) and economics (esp. game theory), and techniques from each seem
well-poised to help with key problems of the other.My first goal in this course is to study
these connections which produce powerful mechanisms for adaptive and networked
environments and several other applied areas, and improve the experience of
users of the Web and internet. To this end, the course would be a broad survey
of topics such as: algorithmic mechanism design; auctions (efficient,
revenue-maximizing, sponsored search, etc.); congestion and potential games;
cost sharing; existence, computation, and learning of equilibria; game theory
in the Internet; network games; price of anarchy; selfish routing, etc.

Though there is no official prerequisites for
this course already passing a course in algorithms or economics is very
important for this course. If you are unsure of whether you have sufficient
background for this course or not, please e-mail the instructor in the first
week of the class or before.